Get Your Kids Involved

Author:

Al Siebert

I have done everything possible to get my kids involved in hunting. Every time out whether it be scouting, camping or during the actual hunt, I will challenge them to find their way back without using any electronics (GPS). Also without a compass. They know by now that I am going to challenge one of them, so right off the bat when leaving our vehicle or camp they will start picking out land marks to help them out. Makes me and them feel confident that if we were to somehow separate that they will be ok.

Have them also start your evening camp fires with flint. They learn real quick what will work as a starter. With the pressure of all the electronics today their entertainment could easily be staying at home all weekend and summer. If they are into video games, buy them one of the hunting games and have a contest with them on whose trophy room will be the most impressive. Also a couple of other things, make sure they always carry a whistle and plenty of matches/lighters along with their flint. Check their backpacks occasionally to make sure they are prepared. If they are without toilet paper one time they will learn real quick to start doing a better job. This has worked for me! Remember they are our future to conservation and our hunting heritage. My best memories hunting have nothing to do with harvesting an animal, but they are instead the conversations and jokes I have with my kids. Good luck!...

Getting and Keeping Your Kids Involved in Hunting

I have accumulated a lot of special memories over the course of my twenty years of hunting. I can still vividly remember the details of my first successful deer hunt, my first turkey, and my first good buck with a bow. But all of these events pale in comparison to watching my eight year-old son squeeze the trigger on his very first deer - a big, mature doe; or watching him harvest his first gobbler this past spring.

The author with his son after their first successful deer hunt together. These are the memories that will last a lifetime for all those involved.

Like most fathers who love to hunt, my hope has always been to raise my two children to share my passion for hunting and enjoying the great outdoors. That dream became clearly evident to my wife when I brought our first-born son home from the hospital in little Mossy Oak bib overalls. I know too many hunters, however, whose kids have grown up with little or no interest in following in their father's footsteps when it comes to pursuing shooting sports, and I have often wondered what is it that separates those kids who develop the passion and those that don't. While there's no guaranteed formula for getting and keeping our kids involved in hunting, there are certainly things that we can do as a parent or mentor to increase the odds of them developing that lifelong passion. Let's take a look at five of those things.

GET THEM INVOLVED AT AN EARLY AGE From my experience, and the experience of others that I have talked with, kids generally take a very early interest in their parent's passion for the outdoors. For me, that was when they were around two years old. It started with questions about where I was going and what daddy was doing. Then, when I actually brought home some type of critter, they were out there watching me cut it up, looking it over closely, and of course, poking and prodding on it in amazement. All of this youthful curiosity builds over time until the question is finally asked, "When can I go hunting with you?"

Before he was old enough to go hunting with a firearm, the author got his son involved in other outdoor activities, like fishing and frog gigging.

Initially, this was a very tough question for me, because I have a tendency to take hunting very serious - often too serious. I wanted to get them involved but the selfish side of me knew that taking them would require me to change the way I hunt and to get past the usual expectations and just plan on having a good time together. I soon realized that hunting with a young child means making the trips short, being ready to answer lots of questions, lowering my hopes of actually harvesting anything, and most of all, keeping it fun.

MAKE IT FUN Regardless of the child's age, these early days afield with you are probably the most critical in determining whether or not he/she maintains an interest in hunting. These first hunts, like any first impression, are where the child is going to form their opinion about h...

Passing it on: Youth and Beginner Hunts

Southeastern Washington is a mule deer and whitetail deer "factory" - with its rolling hills of grain and grasses, brushy draws, and steep river canyons. For youth and those who draw antlerless controlled hunt permits it is a target rich environment. Such hunts are excellent opportunities for young people and newcomers to taste success in hunting. My daughter Candace (now 13) and I have gone on several such hunts. She has tasted success in hunting, we have had some great father-daughter time, and we have meat in the freezer. Candace’s job has been to have the tag; my job has been to mentor, help identify targets, provide food and encouragement, and feed her ammo.

Below are some points gleaned from our youth and antlerless controlled hunts that may be of help introducing other youth and newcomers to the sport of big game hunting.

Picking a Beginner. Whether friend, relative, or offspring, pick someone who wants to hunt. Don’t drag someone out there just to fill a tag. Some people won’t want to hunt as much as you do, even your children. I have five children and some don’t want to hunt, while others want to hunt but are not ready. I will only take a child once they demonstrate the ability to go through the necessary steps and they want to hunt. For a child, the necessary steps to hunting will likely include a hunter ed course, and perhaps some hikes into the outdoors. For older beginners, it may involve the willingness to get and sight in a rifle, purchase licenses, and tags.

Climbing in mule deer terrain.

Firearm Selection. Remember to select a firearm that your shooter is comfortable using. The shooter must be able to get the target in scope and rifle butt in shoulder at the same time. The gun must also have a comfortable kick. If the kick is too great, your newcomer will hesitate, or maybe not want to shoot at all. Get a rifle and cartridge that your child is comfortable with target practicing and hunting with – one he or she can blaze away all afternoon with, if necessary. Together my daughter and I purchased the Ruger M77 Compact, 260 caliber, in stainless steel. The gun fits, and the kick is comfortable, and the bullet lethal for deer. In fact, I even use it when she doesn’t. She started with a bigger gun – but got hit with the scope just once in the forehead and then shied away from it.

Picking a Hunt. Many states have hunts or programs to encourage youth involvement in hunting. We hunt in both Washington and Idaho of which both states have youth hunts that allow hunters below a certain age to take antlerless animals in otherwise antlered only areas, or have special hunting dates, or both. The antlerless option generally opens up the opportunity for a lot more targets. For older beginners, consider antlerless controlled hunts or other hunts that will give opportunity for early success. Also note that while non-resident hunting licenses and tags may be brutally costly for adults, they may be extraordinarily affordable for ch...